Degreasing agent



Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES DEGREASING AGENT v Paul Hodges, Tuscaloosa,'Ala., assignor to Gulf PATENT. orriciz;

States Paper Corporation, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application April 20,1933, Serial No. 667,046

5 Claims.

My invention relates to degreasing agents, such as are employed for removing grease, oils, and

.solution in the liquor and may be separated out by centrifugal separation or other methods.

Floating soap, so called, contains the alkali i -salts of a complexity of fatty and resinous acids,

higheralcohols, and a number of other compoundsymany of which have not as yet been identified. While no dependable analysis of floatingsoap is available, it is known to treat:

the product, for example, as set forth in the U. S. patent to Michelson No. 1,823,752, in such a manneras to free the acid constituents and alcohols from the "floating soap and obtain a complex mixture of such constituents which is known in the trade as Tallol.

fled in floating soap" are the sodium salts of oleic acid, palmitic acid, linolenic acid, capric acid, and linoleic acid, and unidentified unsaponifiable compounds. (Hasselstrom Paper Trade Journal, July 8, 1926, page 60; Chem. Abs. 20: 3566). Also in Sandquist, Berichte 64 B, pages 2172-4, (Chem. Abs/26: 472) there are identified a salt of lignoceric acid, lignoceryl alcohol and page 8, (Chem. Abs. 13:.2868), describes salts of pinabietic acid. Dittmerin zsAngew Chem., vol.

39, page 262 (1926) (Chem. Abs. 20: 2072) describes abietic acid as well as confirming the work of other investigators, and mentions other un identified hydrocarbons. l

E. Phyala in Svensk. Pappers Tid. vol. 29, 601-4, 627-9 (1926),: (Chem. Abs. vol. 21, page 2072) separates the so-called floating-soap" according to viscosity into twelve classifications ranging from easily mobile fatty oil to a black asphalt like resin. Among compounds not mentioned by other investigators and identified by this author are 'recinoleic acid, erucic acid, erythrose and mannose.

which is formed in the black liquor produced in j floatsjto the top of the liquor drained from the pulp after digestion, and which also is in part in f Among the compounds which have been identiphytosterol. ,Aschan in Finska Kem. Medd. 1918,

. Besides the above mentioned compounds, the so-calledfisoap contains free sodium hydroxide, free sodium sulphide, free sodium carbonate, free sodium'acetate, and other unidentified materials. The physical and chemical properties of different 5' samples vary to a certain extent depending. upon 1 the conditions ofnianufacture and thewoodymavterial from whio t is obtained.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a degreasing agent which 8118.11 con- 10 tain as a principal ingredient floating soap".

A still further object of my invention isthe provision of a degreasing agent which shall ,contain any one or more of a number of known compounds having grease. solvent properties, together" with floating soap and, in the ,case-of emulsions, a stabilizing agent which may comprise any fatty acid, such as rosin or f-tallo orany the floating soap.

I have discovered that floating soap alonehas remarkable penetrating -.properties, as well asexmineralacid which will formiia fatty acid with cellent grease removing properties-and is also an effective agent for. the removal of rust and paint from metal or wood surfaces. It may be used alone or in a water solution with good results in many instances. When combined with other substances, such as hereinafter mentioned, having the property of dissolving grease, I have.. found that, due among other things to its pene- 'trating qualities, it greatly enhances thoseproperties and renders such solvents far more emcient.

Among the solvents-which I have found to be especially useful might be mentioned trichlorethylene, amylene dichlorides, ethylene dichloride, diacetone, isopropyl ether, carbon tetrachloride, mono methyl ethylene glycol ether, di-

' oxan, acetone, ethyl lactate, mono ethylethylene glycol'ether, dichlormethane, ethyl acetate, turpentine, kerosene, and gasoline. Other equiva- 40 lent solvents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. i

The amylene dichlorides mentioned above are sold on the open market and comprisea mixture of amylene dichlorides in which the chlorine atoms are attached to adjacent carbon atoms.

One example of'myinvention, in the form of an emulsion, may comprise the following:

Example 1 Trichlorethylene Oleic acid i I f 3 Floating soap.. 20. iwa'ter 1 ll niaking the above emulsion, the "soap," oleic acid and trichlorethylene are preferably mixed and. stirred until a good solution is obtained. Water is then added with violent agitation until a smooth creamy emulsion is produced. The emulsion thus produced, I have found to be very stable, and I think permanent, sample batches made up in the manner described having stood for more than a month without separating out. The emulsion may be further diluted with water before use.

If desired, a finely divided abrasive, such as powdered flint, stack ash, silicon carbide or aluminum oxide, may be added to the emulsion when making it. The abrasive will be found to accelerate the removal of the grease from metal, wood, concrete, stone or other solid surfaces. Any desired amount may be added, though 5% will ordinarily be found to be suiiicient.

The oleic acid mentioned in Example 1 acts as a stabilizer for the emulsion. In place of the oleic acid, I may use any fatty acid or mixture of fatty acids, such as rosin or tallol," or any mineral acid which will form a fatty acid with the "floating soap." For example, the emulsion may be made up with trichlorethylene, sli h y, more floating soap" than is set forth in Example 1, andsumcient phosphoric acid to react with the excess of floating soap" to form-the stabilizer, tallol". Where rosin is substituted for the oleic acid, a higher temperature is required in forming the emulsion, for obvious reasons.

Where "taliol" is substituted for the oleic acid, it produces equally good results. so far as the removalofgreaseisconcembuttheresulting emulsionisnotouitesosmoothasthatproduced with the oleic acid.

The composition descrimd in Example 1. oran equivalent compodtion including equivalents of the solvents and stabilisers given, is eifective for theremovalofpracticallyallgreases. Asomewhat more penetrating and faster working agent may be made, however, froma combination of solvents with the floating soap. One example of such a solution made in accordance with my invention is as follows:

Immple 2 I Percent Trichlorethylene 37.5 Alcohol 87.5 Floating soap 25.0

The constituents are mixed and stirred cold until a good solution is obtained.

In the product given in Example 2, I have found that the solvent properties of trichlorethylene and: alcohol are greatly enhanced by the floating soap", due, in my opinion, to the remarkable penetrating properties which I have found that the soap possesses. With either the solution or the emulsion types, they may be employed in the manner common to degreasing agents. Metal articles and hides in tanneries may be degreased by simply dipping them into the composition. Floors may be scrubbed with the compositions greatly diluted, or the composition may be sprayed on to the surfaces to be degreased. Where large surfaces are to be cleaned, a power driven brush greatly facilitates the speed with which grease may be removed. The rate of removal may also be greatly accelerated by the addition of up to 5% of an abrasive to the emulsion, as heretofore described, and'when so added to the emulsion, the abrasive will remain in suspension and will not settle out of the emulsion.

1,oas,oos

In removing grease from metal articles moving in a production line, it is often desirable to spray the metal with or immerse it in the removing compound. It is then sometimes desirable to have a composition that will more aggressively attack a the grease coating. For this purpose I have found it desirable to form a solution comprising a solvent or combination of solvents, floating soap" and a mineral acid. The most desirable mineral acid has been found to be phosphoric. One ex'aml0 ple of such a solution made in accordance with my invention is as follows:

Example 3 Percent 15 Mono butyl ethylene glycol ether $0 Phosphoric acid-% H:PO4.. so Floating soap 20 Theconstituents are mixed and stirred until a good solution is obtained. It will be imderstood, of course, that the phosphoric acid entering into the solution combines in part with the floating soap to form tallol." The remainder remains as free acid.

In the product given in Example 8, I have found a that the solvent properties of mono butyl ethylene glycol etheraregreatlyenhancedbytbeffloating soap". and that the phosphoric acid aids in completely cleaning the surfaces. The solution giveninExample smaybeemployedbydiw lor spraying, followed by washing of! with water.

In Example 3 "tallol". derived from floating soapmaybesubstitutedfortheiioatimaoap." other solvents such as mono butyl diethyime glycoletheamonoethyldiethyieneglyoolether, mono methyl ethylene glycol ether, butyl lactate. butyl alcohol, diacetono, dioxan, ethyl lactate. acetone, ethyl alcohol. methyl alcohol. isopsopyl alcohol and similar solvents may be used.

Among the advantagesand novel properties of floating soap as constituents of the emulsion or solvent type of degreasing agent are:

(1) ftpresentsacheapemmsifyingagentfc the usual degrusinl solvents.

(2) ftwillemulsifypracticallyanymgrease or wax.

(3) Anydirhnutorscalepartlolesarecarried into 7 (4) 'l'hepenetratingmwflesofthe'w allowittopenetratebeneaththeparticlesof gressesndoiiandthus aidremoval.

(5) It is an excellent inhibitor for further rusting'even when highly diluted with water.

(6) It will remove tar, rust or paint present.

('7) The wax content aids in staying on work.

(8) The high water'content of the emulsion tendstoeliminatefireandfumehasardand greatly decreases loss of solvent during use and storage.

(9) Any-emulsion remaining on work may be washed ofl. with water. No salts detrimental to electro-plating are present in any amounts. I

c (10) The him if left on work will not detrimental to a new paint film.

(11) The emulsions are very stable to electrolytes and hydrolysis of the solvents appears to. have little effect on their stability.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I 1 have devised an improved 1 agent having incorporated as a principal in edient therein floating soap". which is extremely economical I of manufacture, being made principally from a waste product of the paper industry, and which 15 is remarkably effective for the purposes described.

-It will also be apparent that the proportions given in the examples recited herein are to be taken as illustrative only, and that they may be varied from widely, without departing from the spirit of my invention; and while I have described my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing,

from the spirit thereof. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. What I claim is:

1. A degreasing agent comprising an excess of 50% of two organic grease solvents, one a chlorinated hydrocarbon and the other alcohol, and the remainder floating soap obtained from the black liquors in the manufacture of soda or sulphate cellulosic material.

2. A degreaslng'agent comprising an organic grease solvent and floating soap obtained from the black liquors in the manufacture of soda or sulphate cellulosic materials, the proportions of soap to the organic solvent being at least one to four.

3. A degreasing agent comprising trichlorethylene, alcohol and .floating' soap" obtained from the black liquors in the manufacture of soda or sulphate cellulosic material, the floating soap" comprising substantially one-fourth of the active ingredients.

4. A degreasing agent comprising a chlorinated hydrocarbon grease solvent, floating soap obtained from the black liquors in the manufacture flcient higher fatty acid to stabilize the emulsion, and water, the floating soapv comprising substantially one-third of the active ingredients.

5. A degreasing agent comprising floating soap" obtained from the black liquors in the manufacture of soda or sulphate cellulosic material, phosphoric acid, and an organic grease solvent, the floating soap comprising more than 15% of the composition.

PAUL HODGES.

of soda orsulphate cellulosic material, suf- 

